


The Future is Now

by Pearl_Unplanned



Series: Cap_Ironman Bingo 2017 [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Cap_Ironman Bingo, Cuddling, Established Relationship, Established Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Married Couple, Minor Bruce/Natasha, Old Married Couple, Optimistic Steve Rogers, Protective Avengers, Protective Bruce Banner, Protective Steve Rogers, Stony Bingo, Team as Family, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2018-12-30 22:18:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12118383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearl_Unplanned/pseuds/Pearl_Unplanned
Summary: After a villain's failed 'time machine' is used on Tony and Steve, it leaves them both far older than anyone had been expecting. Tony, unsurprisingly, is having trouble coping with it, especially since there's a chance it might be permanent. Steve, on the other hand, tries to make the best of the situation.





	1. Older and Wiser

**Author's Note:**

> Y2, Old Married Couple  
> This is how I pictured [Tony](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e4/66/34/e466347b77135fee6af0355cd941d69a.jpg), and this is how I pictured [Steve](https://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/marvelcrossroads/images/c/c3/Old_steve_rogers.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20151209025733), except with slightly darker gray hair.

 

            It hadn't yet been even _six_ hours since the battle had ended, and Tony was already exhausted. He hated it. Up until about two hours back he'd tried just keeping the Iron Man suit on, thinking that it might be easier because it would give him more stability, but instead it had just worn him out to drag the heavy metal suit around with him through the debrief and back to the tower.

            When Bruce had insisted that the two of them get medical evaluations, Tony had fled to the lab. Nope, he was not putting himself through S.H.I.E.L.D. medical, and there was nothing that they were able to do about it. They couldn't force him to stay, especially at that time since he'd still had the suit on.

            Now, though, the lab was on lockdown and the suit was off and Tony was lying on the couch, trying to control his breathing. It wasn't a panic attack, he hadn't had those for quite a while, mostly because of Steve, but.... this was different. He just couldn't breathe well.

            Bruce would kill him if he knew that Tony was struggling to breathe and had locked himself in the lab, alone. It was a good thing that he'd instructed Jarvis not to say a _thing_ to any of the Avengers. What they didn't know couldn't hurt them. Tony sighed and pressed one hand to the arc reactor that was still embedded in his chest. He wasn't sure if it was going to be a problem, and he knew that he probably should've asked at least _Bruce_ about his opinion on it, but...

            This couldn't be happening. He'd been trying to figure out how to reverse the effects, but... but even if he _had_ the machine that the guy had used it wouldn't help much, because Tony's _hand_ wouldn't stop shaking long enough for him to be able to _try_ to figure out how to reverse the effects.

            Steve had tried getting into the lab about four hours back, and every hour he tried again. Tony felt bad about shutting him out, but Steve hadn't actually seen him just yet. He wasn't ready for his husband to see how he looked now.

 

            _"Just stay close to me. I don't know what that machine is, but he was ranting about a time machine," Steve said, trying to sound calm and collected. It wasn't getting past Tony, though—he was just as worried as Tony was. If that guy did have a time machine, then he could send Steve or Bucky back to the past. No one wanted that to happen, and he was going to make sure that it_ didn't _happen._

_"Don't worry, Winghead, you're not going anywhere," Tony replied, trying to locate where the man with the mysterious 'time machine' had gone. Because he was working with so many lackeys, it was hard to keep an eye on the guy who had the dangerous weapon._

_Or, well,_ potentially _dangerous weapon. They weren't even sure if it worked just yet. He sounded far more like a mad scientist ranting about his latest piece of junk._

_"Stark, they don't_ actually _have a time machine, right?" Bucky asked through the earpiece. Tony could see him with Clint and Natasha not too far off, trying to keep an eye on both of the ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. "I mean, if anyone would've created a time machine, it would've been you, right?"_

_Tony laughed. "Yeah, sure Buck. I would've figured it out first."_

_"He's got a point you know," Steve said, and Tony noticed he way that he was sticking close by. "I don't believe for a second that it's a time machine. We just need to figure out what it is and_ where _it is before he can use it one anyone."_

_Tony nodded in agreement. No matter what this man may have created, it would be best if it wasn't tested on any of his teammates. They were family_

_He just needed to find the weapon._

_Steve was shouting his name an instant later, and when Tony turned around he watched as his husband took a stance in front of him, trying to block the bright gold blast. All Tony could see was gold._

 

            The debate on whether or not he should go upstairs was a hard one. He needed food, and he needed water, and he was sure that his teammates were _very_ worried about him by now. Especially Steve. Steve would be completely stressed by now. He hoped that Steve wasn't _too_ stressed, seeing as it couldn't be good for his health right now.

            Did Steve still have the serum? Tony assumed so, he assumed that the serum wouldn't have just magically disappeared from his system. Would the serum keep any health problems away? Perhaps he'd know if he had stayed and had done the physical that Bruce had suggested. In fact, he still didn't know if the arc reactor was causing trouble or not. Maybe he should ask Bruce to take a look at that.

            As Tony dragged himself over to the door, he glanced back to where he'd left the suit. The thing had been a pain to get off, but at least Jarvis was able to remove most of it. In a way, he wanted to just put it back on and pretend that nothing had happened, pretend that he still looked and felt just the same way as he always had.

            But that would require dragging the suit around again, and he wasn't sure if his body would be able to handle that. He _hated_ it. Choosing to abandon the armor in the lab, Tony opened the door and froze. The elevator had _just_ opened, and the somewhat familiar face of his husband greeted him as Steve walked over.

            "Tony," Steve gasped, and for a second he thought that the blond was horrified. Why wouldn't he be? Tony saw himself in the mirror, he couldn't blame Steve for his reaction. But then his husband was hugging him—not with the same strength that he used to have, Tony noted—and murmuring, "I was hoping you'd come out of the lab eventually, I hate it when you lock me out. Are you okay? Are you hurt? You didn't let S.H.I.E.L.D. make sure you were okay."

            There was a slight accusatory tone in his voice, like Steve wasn't thrilled that he hadn't stuck around. Tony could understand that—he left his husband at S.H.I.E.L.D. and went back to the tower alone. He _did_ leave Steve with the team, though, so he knew that he'd be fine.

            "When have I ever let S.H.I.E.L.D. touch me?" Tony pointed out, relieved to get that amused, happy look from Steve.

            "At least see if Bruce can check on you," Steve said, gently taking his hand before he led him over to the elevator. On a normal day, Steve would've dragged him up the stairs, telling him about how much better it was for his health. Today was not a normal day. "I know you trust him with the reactor. Is it hurting you?"

            "I don't think so," he sighed, leaning back against the back wall of the elevator. "I hate this, Steve."

            "I know you do," Steve said quietly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

            When that golden blast had hit them, it didn't send them through time. Tony almost wished that it had. Instead, it had some rather... _interesting_ effects. While it didn't send them to the future or the past, it seemed to do that with their bodies. They'd both been aged far more than Tony wanted to even think about.

            He thought that he was perhaps... eighty-something, maybe, and Steve? Well, it was pretty impossible to tell with Steve, being a super-soldier and all, but if he wasn't a super-soldier... That wasn't a fair question either, because he still had muscles—not the same ones he had in his prime, but still! He looked like a very fit eighty-something year old man, far more fit than Tony felt. He couldn't _breathe_ sometimes, and Steve looked like he could still win a marathon.

            His husband was still so beautiful. When Tony looked at him, his heart still skipped a beat, his face still flushed, and he still wanted nothing more than to be by Steve's side. That's all he'd ever wanted—the chance to make the other man as happy as Steve made him. It was wonderful. But after seeing himself in the mirror... he really wouldn't blame Steve for waiting until they were back to normal to be by his side.

            Tony's hair had turned pure white by now, his face—and _body_ —was wrinkled, and his whole body felt so weak. His joints ached and his lungs must've had some problems because he couldn't breathe that well and... Tony couldn't stand to see his reflection. If he didn't have to see it, he could pretend that it didn't happen.

            "Tony, darling, you're lost in that big head of yours," Steve murmured, those soft hands of his carefully cupping his face. He pressed a soft kiss to Tony's lips before murmuring, "Come on back to me, darling. What's troubling you so much? Bruce will figure this out, you don't have to worry about that."

            Except that he did. What if it _wasn't_ reversible? When he'd said that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Steve, he thought he'd have longer. His only response was, "I hate this."

            "You already said that," Steve chuckled. He had no clue how the super-soldier was able to stay so optimistic about this, but in a way he was glad because it was strangely calming to see Steve so calm and light-hearted about the situation. "I already talked with the team about what happened, and about how they shouldn't be acting like anything is different. I know this might be a little uncomfortable for a few days, but I can assure you—nothing's going to change, Tony."

            "We won't be going out to battle," Tony muttered.

            Steve actually smiled at that. "No, I suppose we won't be. No more getting interrupted by missions—that doesn't sound too bad to me. At least, for a few days."

            "You seem so sure that this is going to be resolved quickly," Tony said. He didn't have that same kind of optimism. He had to look at this honestly—hope for the best, expect the worst. The worst was maybe a couple of years with the team before he died, and that was looking at the worst in a positive light. The best could be a few days and then back to normal, but he doubted it. He'd put his faith in Bruce, yes, but realistically it would be more than a few days.

            "Bruce will figure it out," Steve said, stopping Tony before he could go down the hallway to the kitchen. "If there's _anything_ you're worried about, Tony, you _know_ you can always talk to me. I thought I made that clear _years_ ago—back when we first became _friends_ , let alone when we first got together, or when we got married... I'm always going to be here for you, Tony."

            "I know," he said, though there was no way that Steve wasn't able to tell that he was lying. He could always see right through Tony's lies, and while he gave him a look, Tony just glanced away. Steve sighed and took ahold of his hand.

            "The team's been worried about you," he added as they headed towards the kitchen. "They were worried that you were hurt, so they're going to be a little... overprotective, for a while."

            "I'm used to it," Tony pointed out, and Steve laughed. Steve was basically the definition of overprotective, especially when it came to the team.

            "I guess you're right about that," Steve chuckled. When they got to the kitchen, the super-soldier headed over to his chair like everything was normal, so Tony headed over to the coffee machine and grabbed his mug, filling it up before he turned to go sit down.

            He really shouldn't have been surprised that he caught everyone's attention. All five of his teammates were sitting at the table or standing beside it, and yet Steve was the only one who was able to act like everything was normal. Bruce, to be honest, looked like he was trying, and it was hard to read Natasha, so she could've been surprised but failed to show it.

            Clint and Bucky though? They both looked surprised, and it looked like any conversation that they might've been having had died on their tongues. Tony just frowned at them and took his seat at the table.

            "Tony, you skipped the debrief," Bruce said calmly, though there was an angry tone in his voice. Oh yeah, they'd be talking later. "You know you're not supposed to just leave."

            "I know," Tony groaned. "I'm pretty sure you yell at me after every mission."

            "One would think you might eventually listen," Bruce muttered, but he did look relieved to see Tony sitting there with them.

            "Fury was pretty pissed that you weren't there, but he actually seemed concerned about you once he saw Steve," Clint spoke up. "I think you're finally starting to grow on him, Tony. He's never yelled at us so much to make sure that you were okay."

            "You... are okay, right?" Bucky asked, sounding cautious. As a super-soldier, he probably didn't need to think about aging so much. None of them really thought about it—they were too busy fighting evil and sorting out family matters to think about the idea of one day being old. Now though? Now the very thought was staring them all in the face.

            "Do I look okay to you?" It wasn't like he was trying to be mean to his team, but he was pretty annoyed by the whole situation. No, he wasn't okay. He was eighty-something when he should've been about fifty years younger. It wasn't fair.

            Those six words seemed to be enough to make everyone at the table feel uncomfortable. A silence fell over the team. Tony sighed, _loudly_. "I'm _fine_ , I'm not hurt. Thanks for the concern."

            While that seemed to lighten the mood a little, everyone still seemed unsure of what to say. Eventually Bruce spoke up, asking if he'd be able to take Tony over to the medical room just to make sure everything was fine. Tony was a little glad that Steve followed after him, because at least if he was around maybe Bruce wouldn't get too personal with the questions—but then again, why would it matter if his husband was around?

            "I need to know _right now_ if you're lying about your health," Bruce said as they walked down the hallway, _long_ before they even made it to the medical room. "Because if there's _anything_ wrong—"

            "I've had some trouble breathing," Tony muttered, knowing that if Bruce found out that he had kept anything to himself after he'd sworn that he'd said _everything_ that Bruce would be furious at him. Not furious in the Hulking out kind of way, but furious in the passive-aggressive anger for a week kind of way. "But that's nothing new, with the arc reactor and all—and when I was trying to keep the suit on. It's not made for... this body."

            "I see," Bruce said, considering what Tony said for a moment before he added, "I'm going to trust you on the fact that it's nothing too bad. I'd tell you to avoid strenuous physical activity for a while, but I'm sure you already know that. Working in the lab—I know you're going to hate me for this—should only happen under supervision or not at all. A lot of what you work on is either very heavy or potentially dangerous, and you're not in the best... condition, to deal with that right now."

            "You're right, I do hate you right now," Tony muttered, glancing over at Steve when his husband put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He gave him a stern look, and Tony sighed. "Thanks... for looking into a way to reverse this."

            "Of course," Bruce said right away, sounding surprised, like the thought of _not_ doing something was just completely outrageous. "I'd do anything to help you guys—and I _will_ find a way to reverse it. You don't have to worry about that. In fact, it would probably be best if you didn't worry about it. The less worry and stress, the better."

            Tony just nodded. Less stress and worry wasn't going to happen until he was back to normal, but it was a good thought.

            "I'll help him stress less," Steve murmured, taking ahold of his husband's hand. The statement confused Tony, but he liked holding Steve's hand, so he didn't complain.

            The thing that he _did_ want to complain about were the millions of questions that Bruce was asking him about his health and his body. Once he was sure that the arc reactor wasn't causing any sort of negative side effects—if anything, it seemed to be giving his body more energy, though it still made it a little harder to breathe—Bruce didn't hold back on asking about anything.

            "I just want to make sure you're okay," he insisted, crossing his arms. "You refused a S.H.I.E.L.D. medical exam, so you're getting one from me."

            "I'd rather not think about how _old_ I am right now," Tony replied. The reactor was fine, so he was ready to go. Bruce had gotten him to answer a couple of his millions of questions, and that was enough.

            "I know you don't like this," Bruce said gently, "but we all are _extremely_ grateful you're still here, Tony. If anything would've happened to you—to _either_ of you—it would've torn the team apart. We need you guys."

            He looked so earnest, and there was a hint of that sorrow still in his features, like he'd thought about what would've happened had Tony taken the full blast.

            Tony had thought about it quite a lot. He had gone through the calculations and had gotten Jarvis to run some simulations of what could have happened. Jarvis contrasted the results against simulations involving the super-soldier serum, and together they found out that if Steve wouldn't have tried to block the blast from hitting him, he would've been completely aged out of existence, into _dust_. But because of the way that the super-serum reacted with the blast, it nullified most of the effects on Tony, who he'd been protecting. Steve had been aged far more than the man probably expected, and Tony couldn't imagine what that would mean for his husband's lifespan once they were back to normal. Everyone expected Steve to outlive him—and the rest of them, probably, too—but now he had proof that it wouldn't just be by a few years.

            Steve had saved his life by taking the brunt of that blast, and he wasn't sure if his husband even _knew_ that yet.

            "Lucky for the team, then, 'cause it only made us old," Tony said, trying not to think of the alternative. "We're not dead, just old."

            "And I'll fix that, don't worry," Bruce said. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is finishing up their analysis of the weapon today, but then I'm taking it back here and I'm going to make sure that it'll reverse its effects."

            Tony nodded. Great, S.H.I.E.L.D. still had their hands on the only thing that could potentially make him younger again. It wasn't that he didn't trust them—no, that was pretty much it. He didn't trust S.H.I.E.L.D. to save his life, but he did trust his team to do that.

            "Is there anything else you need, or can I go be bored in the living room instead?" Tony asked. He wasn't allowed in his lab, he wasn't allowed to work with his suit _or use it at all_. Next thing he knew Bruce would be telling him that he shouldn't be living off of coffee because it's _not healthy_ or something.

            "I just need to make sure that if any problems arise, you _will_ come to me—got it? I don't want this to be more difficult than it has to be," Bruce said, glancing back and forth between Steve and Tony, "for _either_ of you."

            "I'm not expecting any problems, but we _will_ tell you," Steve said, casting a glance over at Tony with a look that said he was _serious_. Tony just nodded because there was no point in arguing with Steve.

            "Good," Bruce said. "Then if everything is fine, you can go be bored in the living room."

            "Finally," Tony said, turning to leave. He wasn't really all that surprised that Steve grabbed his arm before he could leave.

            "Thank you, Bruce," Steve said sincerely before he let Tony lead him down the hallway. "I know you're not happy about this, Tony. I'm not either. But you need to lighten up a bit—Bruce is trying his hardest. Everyone just wants to know that you're okay right now."

            "I know," Tony groaned, which just made him feel worse. He knew that he needed to be nicer, but he just couldn't handle the situation and no one was letting him have any alone time. Normally he'd just go to the lab and work out his stress, but now? Now it was too _dangerous_ for him. Ha, like that had ever mattered. "I'm not staying out of the lab."

            "Tony—"

            Tony shook his head. "Nope, not doing it. Doesn't matter how old I am, I'm still going to be going down to the lab and—"

            It took Steve kissing him for him to stop talking. "I'm not going to tell you not to go to the lab, Tony. You don't have to worry about that. I was just going to suggest that I go down with you, when you're ready."

            "Really?" But Bruce had said that he should be in the lab without supervision _or at all_.

            "You'll go crazy if you're not allowed in your lab," Steve said. "I'm probably not the supervision that Bruce was talking about, but I spend lots of time in the lab with you anyway. I know you're having trouble with this, and being locked out of the lab is going to make it worse."

            "Thank you," Tony said, giving his husband a quick kiss before he could stop himself. Steve had kissed him several times thus far, but Tony was still worried about what he might've thought about the way he looked now. Steve still had that easygoing smile on his face, and he was still watching Tony with that same look of love that he'd always given him.

            "You never got to tell me what the latest thing you were working on was," Steve said, leading him over towards the elevator to the lab. How in the world did he get lucky enough to have such an incredible husband?

            "I was working on these upgrades for your armor," Tony said, grinning. "If I can just find a way to make everything bulletproof without losing any mobility, then the whole team could be safer. I've got it _mostly_ bulletproof, but the flexibility and mobility is _really_ being affected by it... I haven't figured it out yet, but I will."

            "I know you will," Steve said. "You always do."

            Tony couldn't hide his smile as the two of them headed towards the lab. Steve understood him. He had nothing to worry about.

 

            Tony had _everything_ to worry about, apparently. It wasn't that long before Natasha made her way down to the lab. Tony was explaining some of the stuff he'd been working on to Steve, just some of the little side projects that he had. He honestly wasn't expecting anyone to be coming down to drag them out of the lab for at least a few hours or something.

            "котенок, I thought Bruce told you that you shouldn't be working in the lab for a little while," Natasha said as she approached.

            He raised an eyebrow at her. "Not quite—he advised against it without supervision. And I'm _not_ working in the lab, I'm just showing Steve some of the stuff that I _was_ working on. No need to go rat us out to Bruce."

            Natasha didn't comment on that, instead choosing to just wander closer and make sure that they were doing just as Tony had said. Apparently seeing that none of the tools were in use or anywhere near either of them, she seemed to get the message.

            "Dinner's in a half an hour," Natasha said, like that was the only reason she'd come down—not to scold them or anything. Steve seemed to get the real reason why she had come down, but he just kept a smile on his face—definitely not a genuine one. "Bucky's cooking. We expect you to be there."

            "Don't worry, we'll be there," Steve said with that completely fake sweetness. There was no way that Natasha didn't see it. For a second Tony wondered if Steve was just as tired of their teammates keeping an eye on them as he was. Probably—it was like when the team had first formed and everyone was trying to make sure that he was adjusting. Tony had learned pretty quickly that Steve was adjusting just fine and he hated people treating him like he must've been struggling. He was the only one that Steve was bluntly honest with, the only one he'd share whatever he was feeling with.

            Their close bond had started long before they started dating.

            "Good," Natasha replied, sensing the tension and choosing to leave them to their business.

            "Eventually they're going to realize that we're still completely capable of _everything_ ," Steve sighed, though he now just looked amused. "I can still tell time. Team Dinner's always at the same time."

            "I wanna show up late just to spite them," Tony muttered, looking back over to his projects. His fingers itched to work on them, but if he did that then there was no way that his teammates wouldn't drag him out of the lab kicking and screaming. It wouldn't even be that difficult to drag him out right now.

            "You know," Steve murmured, gently tracing his fingers along the back of his neck, "I kind of like the white hair. Obviously it'll be a while before it comes back, but it looks good."

            "Really? Because I'm still pissed that my dark hair turned bright white while your _blond_ hair just turned gray. Not fair," Tony muttered, but he couldn't deny that the gray looked nice. It made him look far more experienced—Steve had been through a lot more than the team ever really thought about, because he typically just looked like he was about twenty-five. But he was older than _all_ of them.

            "I would've preferred white hair any day," Steve said, and Tony couldn't help but smile and close his eyes as Steve's hands carded through his hair. It just felt so _nice_... "I know that you're probably not going to be in the mood, but maybe later tonight, when we get to bed—"

            "This _day_ has already been exhausting," Tony spoke up, watching Steve's face fall a little before he just nodded and didn't push the matter. It wasn't that Tony wasn't interested—because Steve was Steve, and God did he love that man no matter what he looked like. He just didn't want to tell his husband that he didn't want the super-soldier to see him naked right now. He hated having to see himself naked, why would he want to subject Steve to that?

            "We can just cuddle then," Steve said, and he sounded happy enough with that.

            "So," Steve said, gesturing to one of Tony's other side projects, "you wanna finish telling me about this one before we head upstairs? And maybe after dinner we can lock the lab down, and if you want to work on any of these—light work, nothing too strenuous—then I can help with that."

            Tony's insecurity disappeared for the time, and he nodded quickly. Time in the lab with Steve at his side. That sounded great.


	2. Old and In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony starts to get comfortable with the situation, Steve learns the truth about saving Tony's life, and Tony has a revelation about his husband's love for him.

 

            "Here, let me get that for you," Bucky said, and before Tony could keep the pickle jar in his hands, the super-soldier took it from him. Tony watched as Bucky's expression went from easy-going to _oh God I messed up_ , and he knew that it wasn't because of the glare on his face—no, it _had_ to be Steve, based on the way that Bucky was looking beyond him.

            Before Bucky could retract his words, Tony just crossed his arms and muttered, "Fine, I don't care anymore, I just wanted a damn pickle."

            Bucky gave him an apologetic look and handed him the open jar. "Sorry," he mumbled as he wandered over to his seat. When Tony put the jar away and brought his food back over to the table, Steve had a completely neutral look on his face, but judging by the way that Bucky was avoiding eye contact he _had_ been death-glaring at the other super-soldier.

            Tony wasn't exactly thrilled about Team Dinner that night, or any other night that he'd still be stuck in his aged body. He wanted his teammates to treat him like normal, not to treat him like he was in need of their help—because he _wasn't_. He was a perfectly capable human being and hated being treated otherwise. But he wasn't about to just yell at his team, because he understood that they must've been feeling just as awkward about this as he was.

            He glanced over at Steve when his husband put a hand on his leg and gave him a questioning look, as if asking if he was alright. He just gave him a slight smile. Everything was okay. He'd get through this. Bruce would fix it, and then he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

            It wasn't that he didn't enjoy dinner—Bucky was a great cook, and he _always_ loved whatever the man cooked—he just wanted to leave back down to the lab with Steve and avoid the eyes of his teammates. They were all worried about him and Steve, but he didn't _want_ them to be worrying about him— _that_ was stressing him out more than anything!

            Steve seemed to be the only one who understood that, though, as he excused himself from the table a lot earlier than normal, claiming to be tired before asking Tony to come with him. He didn't see that his husband was just trying to get them away from the table, so at first he was confused and reluctantly agreed to go with Steve, expecting to be heading over towards their bedroom.

            It wasn't until the super-soldier started heading towards the lab when he realized what he'd done.

            "I thought you were actually tired," Tony said, not ready to admit how tired _he_ was.

            "I'm going to have to talk with them again," Steve muttered, with a clear _I'm so disappointed_ tone. "I _thought_ when I told them not to start treating us differently, they would actually listen. If you need help, you'll ask for it—if _I_ need help, I'll ask!"

            "Bucky looked _terrified_ ," Tony chuckled, a little surprised by how angry Steve was. Maybe he could calm him down a little... "I'm guessing that your death-glare had something to do with it, right?"

            "The jerk shouldn't have been treating you like you couldn't do anything," Steve said, sighing. He did smile though when Tony took his hand, so he counted that as a win. "I really did talk with them, Tony, they just... I _get_ that this is going to be different for them—it's going to be different for us, too! But we're trying to keep things normal, why can't they?"

            "I doubt any of them have really spent a lot of time around old, fragile people like us," Tony said, smirking. "I get that they're struggling, Cap—that's why I didn't just yell at Bucky like I wanted to. If he would've done that some other time, he would've gotten a piece of my mind about it, but... They mean well, they do, but I just... it's annoying."

            "It's very annoying," Steve agreed, and he was finally smiling again.

            Tony led Steve over to the couch and started showing him some of the plans that he was working on. It totally wasn't because he was tired and wanted to snuggle up against his husband, totally not. At first the super-soldier didn't seem to understand that and instead seemed very focused on everything that he was telling him, smiling and adding comments and all around seeming very happy.

            He seemed to get why Tony wanted to be on the couch when Tony wasn't able to hold back his yawns. Steve put an arm around him and held him a little closer.

            "I think the first thing that I'm going to finish when we're back to normal... is these new trick arrows," Tony said, snuggling up against his husband's side. "They're always the most fun to work on. It was _going_ to be upgrades for Bucky's arm, but I'm still mad at him, so that'll have to wait. At least Clint comes up with creative ideas."

            "That sounds like a good plan," Steve agreed, though Tony was pretty sure he was just agreeing because the two of them were snuggled up on the couch and if they started arguing, they wouldn't be cuddling anymore. The issue with arguing now was that make-up sex wasn't an option, and Tony was too tired to argue about anything. Plus, Steve seemed to be agreeing with him to keep him calm and relaxed and not thinking about their dilemma.

            "I wanna make some changes to your suit too," Tony mumbled. "If I can get your shield to come back to you... if you ever lose it, then that would be helpful. But it can't be a powerful magnet... or else me 'nd Buck are gonna get stuck to you..."

            "Getting stuck to you doesn't sound that bad," Steve chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. Quietly, with a gentle fondness that Tony had gotten so used to hearing over the years that he'd been with Steve, "We're gonna get through this, Tony, just as we always do. I promise—have I ever lied to you before?"

            "You don't lie," Tony whispered, a dopey grin crossing his face as he closed his eyes. "...be scary if America's Golden Boy started lyin'..."

 

            "If you even _suggest_ that I can't carry my husband off to bed then I'm gonna punch you." Tony could barely hear Steve, but he was still awake enough to know that he was being carried. Normally he would've complained about it—usually just to get Steve to start kissing him until he couldn't talk anymore—but right now he was just too tired to care.

            Whoever Steve was talking to must've stepped aside because Tony just pressed his face to Steve's chest as his husband carried him off to bed.

            Back when he'd first dragged himself off to the lab, he was going to suggest that the two of them sleep in separate rooms. The only reason that he hadn't was because Steve didn't look at him with the disgust that Tony had been expecting— _he_ hated the way that he looked, why didn't Steve? Plus, if he'd asked for a separate room, then he would've seen the hurt look on his husband's face that would've meant that Steve was blaming himself for that.

            It was hard to understand that Steve didn't find him repulsive in his old, old age. It was also sweet though—at least he knew that no matter how old he got, Steve was always going to be in love with him. That was sweet, at least.

            "Steve," Tony tried to whisper, though he wasn't completely sure it came out the right way or not.

            "Go back to sleep," his husband replied, though he didn't want to—he wanted to look up into those blue eyes of Steve's and tell him just how much he loved him, how much he needed him, and how much he appreciated Steve trying to keep things normal while he was stuck like this.

            "Love you," Tony murmured as Steve settled him down in bed. He rolled over, and Steve gave him a quick kiss before he wrapped an arm around him.

            "I love you too, darling," Steve said. "Always."

 

            "Once I'm sure that everything has settled down, I'm gonna take you out and we're going to go have some fun without anyone recognizing us whatsoever," Steve said as Tony flipped through the news channels. There was something going on, big enough to call in the Avengers, and he wanted to know what was going on. He hated having to send the team in without him or Steve being allowed to go.

            "Sure," Tony agreed, barely paying attention when he found a channel that showed the battle.

            "I hate sending them in alone as much as you do," Steve said, wandering over to sit beside him in the living room. "But you have to admit, they're all highly skilled and more than capable of handling this on their own."

            Steve was right—wasn't he always? The team was _very_ skilled and very capable, and neither of them really had anything to worry about. They'd do perfectly fine without either of them for a few days—hopefully less.

            "I'm pretty sure the battle isn't taking place anywhere near the park, so everything should be completely safe over there," his husband continued. Tony looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. "We're going out, Tony. You _just_ agreed to it, no backing out now."

            Tony sighed, but there was no point in arguing. When he thought back, he was pretty sure Steve had mentioned going out, but he was a bit engrossed with the battle. "Fine, fine. But if _anyone_ recognizes us, then we're going home. I don't want anyone knowing about what happened."

            "Deal," Steve said, and when the blond flinched a little Tony turned his attention back to the screen. No doubt Steve was seeing all of the things that would've gone differently had the two of them been there. "Maybe we should wait until they get back here first... once I'm sure they're fine, _then_ we can get out of here for a while. It's been a while since I've taken my fella out, and I think we could both use a night out."

            "If it'll get us away from the awkwardness of being around the team, then I'm fine with that," Tony said, trying to keep an eye on all of his teammates. Bruce was fine, and Clint, Natasha and Bucky were all watching each other’s backs, so they'd be fine, too. They'd all be fine.

            He knew that he was supposed to be 'worrying less' and all, but Tony wasn't able to stop worrying until the battle was over and all four Avengers were heading back to the tower, no worse for wear. In fact, because it hadn't been _that_ bad of a villain, none of them really looked injured. When Tony looked over to his husband, he could see the same look of relief on his face upon seeing their teammates heading back to the tower.

            "I'm going to make sure that they're okay," Steve said, and Tony hurried after him. Once they made sure their team was okay, _then_ they could leave.

 

            "I'm not surprised that they weren't exactly thrilled with the attention," Tony chuckled. When had they just walked through the park together, hand in hand, and just enjoyed the day? Every time they tried they were always swarmed by the paparazzi. "I mean, we weren't reacting well to them giving us too much attention and treating us like we're fragile—"

            "But they were just in a battle, we weren't," Steve pointed out. "So excuse me for wanting to make sure that they were all okay when they got back."

            "I'm sure they appreciated it in their own way, just not... to our faces," Tony laughed. He hated to admit the fact that he definitely wasn't walking as fast as normal, and they weren't going to be talking as far as they may have before, but it was true. Despite still being a super-soldier, Tony had noticed that Steve had slowed down, too—whether it was because he was tired or because he noticed that Tony was slowing down, he couldn't be sure.

            "You know, if we were to try to just sit out here and enjoy the day, we wouldn't be able to," Steve said, settling down on a park bench. Tony took a seat beside him, smiling a little when Steve wrapped an arm around his shoulders like a teenager on a first date would. There was a blush on the blond's face, and a soft smile on his lips. How did he end up so lucky as to have Steve as a husband? He'd never know. "I think that's what I like most about this situation. I know that it's going to be fixed, and I'm glad that it's going to be fixed, but I'm glad that we can just enjoy our time a little."

            "It is nice," Tony agreed, though he was still counting down the days until he'd be young again.

            Tony used to be really self-conscious about going out and holding hands and acting like a couple. He was so used to the media dragging whoever he was dating through the mud and trying to ruin their relationship—he'd had people claim that they had his children, that he cheated on whoever he was dating, all sorts of crap. They'd done that with Steve, too. Except his husband believed _him_ over the media, and every time he proved the media wrong. Steve always stuck by his side, through it all.

            So he was used to looking around, making sure that people weren't watching them, taking pictures of them, glaring or sneering or just acting _disgusted_...

            Today wasn't a normal day. When he glanced around, still gripping Steve's hand because he was usually so nervous about being out in public, he noticed that people either just weren't staring at them, or they were just slightly smiling as they walked past. Huh. He wasn't used to the lack of attention—it was _wonderful_.

            "There's something I need to tell you," Tony said, instantly regretting the way that he said it because Steve's eyes widened and the man's grip on his hand increased slightly in pressure, like he was worried that something bad was just about to happen.

            "Please tell me that you didn't lie to Bruce about your health," Steve said, his voice grave.

            "No, nothing like that—it's a good thing, really," Tony said quickly, pressing a quick kiss to his husband's cheek. "It's good, I promise. I just... I wanted you to know how grateful I am that you stepped in when you did at that battle."

            "Of course," Steve said, looking taken aback a little. "I love you, Tony, I'd always try my best to protect you."

            "If you hadn't tried to block that blast..." Tony took a deep breath. "Jarvis and I ran through the calculations and... I'm only here today because you stepped in, Steve. It affected the super-soldier serum differently, and because you tried protecting me from the blast... I would've been aged out of existence, Steve. Gone. Dust. Just..." He knew his hands were shaking, because the thought of just being _gone_ scared him more than anything. No more Steve, no more Avengers, no more _anything_. "Thank you."

            "Tony," the super-soldier whispered, eyes wide and sad. His husband quickly pulled him into a hug, pressing his face against Tony's shoulder and neck. "I-I didn't even _think_ about that... I just... I wanted to keep you safe. If I hadn't... If I... Oh God."

            "It's fine though, 'cause we're both here, and everything will be fine soon," Tony said, patting his husband's back. "I just thought you should know, because... because that says a _lot_ about your serum, and..."

            "I understand," Steve mumbled. He was going to outlive everyone, by a _lot_. A whole lot.

            "Somehow you always manage to step in and save the day," Tony said, grinning when Steve just rolled his eyes and smiled at him.

            "You know, most people would think that's a _good_ thing," he murmured. "I know I'd rather have you here by my side any day. You know that, right Tony? Because... while I know that these next few days aren't going to be easy for you... you seem to have forgotten that."

            "I know you love me," Tony said, because it was the truth. He knew that Steve loved him. He wouldn't have married him and pledged _'til death do us part_ if he hadn't.

            "But?" Steve prompted, giving him that look of _I know you're hiding something and you better tell me what it is right now._

            "But I've looked at myself in the mirror," Tony muttered. When they got married, "open communication" was something they'd agreed upon. It was probably for the best. He shrugged and mumbled, "I know how I look, and I... I just wouldn't blame you for not being interested."

            "You can't be serious, right?" His husband looked appalled, and he gave Tony's hand a gentle squeeze before he said, "Tony, no matter _what_ you look like I'm always going to love you. I thought I made that clear. I haven't been treating you any different, have I? I didn't think so, but if I made you think this—"

            "Of course you didn't make me think this way," Tony muttered, silencing his husband with a quick kiss. "I looked at myself in the mirror. You've still treated me like I'm young and gorgeous."

            "That's because you _are_ ," Steve insisted. "Well, at least still gorgeous. You're not exactly _young_ at the moment, but I still think you're gorgeous, Tony. Is that why, last night—"

            "I'm so tired _all of the time_ ," Tony groaned, leaning against the other man. Steve was still the same warm, solid presence that he'd always been. "That's not a lie. That's just me being old. I just... I also... I mean, maybe if we turn the lights off... I just don't want to have to see myself."

            "I don't know who in your past made you think that you're only worth anything if you're young and beautiful," Steve said softly, "but I'm always going to love you, Tony—young, old, traditionally beautiful or not... you're _always_ going to be beautiful in my eyes. That's never going to change. No matter how you look—if, God forbid, something terrible happens and leaves you horribly scarred, I would still think you're the most beautiful person I've ever met. And you know why? Because I love _you_ , not how you look. That's only part of you. I love who you _are_ , Tony."

            He'd never really thought before about 'what if something happened that left me scarred or damaged or anything' before, until he'd suddenly became old. Then he couldn't help but think 'what if this can't be reversed,' or 'what if I'm in a horrible accident and I'm all messed up,' or 'what if I don't even look like myself anymore.' Those were all thoughts that had been spinning around in his mind during the past twenty-four hours.

            Now he didn't need to worry about it anymore. How did Steve always know the exact thing that he needed to hear?

            "I love you too," he mumbled. When Bruce told him not to worry about anything, he was right—not worrying about things made him feel so much lighter. He liked the feeling it gave him. "Maybe... maybe we could try. Maybe."

            "We don't need to," Steve said. He had the patience of a _saint_. "I'll wait as long as you need—we'll be back to normal in a few days. You know that I'm happy with just holding your hand."

            Tony laughed. "It's your subtle way of threatening people to stay away from me. Don't think I haven't seen you at the galas—you give anyone who tries flirting with me that death-glare of yours—"

            "I'm your _husband_ , they shouldn't be flirting with you," Steve pointed out. "I thought the ring would be a permanent enough sign that you're taken, forever. But no, it takes me glaring at them until they leave because you _stating_ that you're married doesn't get them to stop."

            "I do try telling them that a couple of times... I'd rather they not get chased off, but if they're constantly ignoring me then they're going to _have_ to deal with an angry Captain America," Tony said. Ah, good times.

            Tony smiled over at him, and in that moment, it really just felt like any other normal day with his husband. He loved spending time with him, just the two of them. As much as they both loved the team, they _did_ need time together away from them. When Tony looked at his husband, he realized that Steve still had those beautiful blue eyes, just as always. He had the same smile, the same laugh.

            In that moment, Tony didn't care if it was his _last_ moment with Steve, because if that was his last moment then at least it was a _good_ one.

 

            "You usually tell us before you stay out late," Natasha pointed out as Tony tried to drag Steve back up to their bedroom.

            "We were just out to _dinner_ ," Tony groaned. One thing that he hadn't missed that whole day was the overprotective, overbearing teammates that he loved _so_ much but really couldn't stand at the moment.

            "Maybe tomorrow you could just tell us that you're going to be staying out late?" Clint suggested.

            After talking at the park for quite a while, they'd walked around the city and had eventually ended up going out to dinner. Steve had been right—it _was_ nice to be able to get out and do stuff without constantly being recognized by the public. In fact, the closest anyone had come to recognizing them had been when someone commented that 'his style was similar to Stark's' to which Tony, playing the role of just a citizen, had just replied that Stark must've styled his beard after _him_ , since he'd had the style for years. Before that guy could even question the similarities, the two of them had gotten out of that conversation and away from that guy.

            Tony had _never_ really been able to just enjoy a day without the thought of getting recognized. If anything, the thing that got them attention was the fact that they were 'such an adorably cute old, gay couple who were able to show their love for one another despite it not being allowed back in the day,' which Tony personally thought was hilarious though Steve definitely understood it. Growing up in another century did have some differences, and Tony kinda liked how traditional his husband could be sometimes. Steve just loved that he didn't have to hide that part of himself anymore.

            "We'll tell you next time," Steve replied. "We weren't thinking about it, we were just enjoying the day."

            "Glad someone got to enjoy it," Bucky muttered, though he did look happy for them. He knew that they couldn't go out and have a day at the park without being recognized, because he couldn't either. "A quick text wouldn't hurt, though."

            "How 'bout this: we're probably going out again tomorrow," Steve said. "Fair warning. Now please, I'm exhausted, let this old man go get some sleep."

            It was the first time either of them had just casually mentioned the fact that they were old to the team, and while everyone seemed instantly uncomfortable for a few seconds, it melted away as Steve wrapped an arm around Tony's waist and started leading him over to their room.

            "A few days doesn't seem so bad anymore," Tony said, crashing down onto the bed. The moment Steve had settled down, he rolled over so that he was face to face with his lover. Steve just smiled at him and snuggled closer. Why had he even been worried in the first place? Of course his husband would still love him. He never should've doubted that.


	3. Young at Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bright golden light that had caused all of the problems in the first place filled the room again, and for a second Tony wanted to run into Steve's arms, to hold his husband tight just in case this was the last time that he'd get a chance to touch him, to hold him. Why hadn't he kissed him before Bruce turned the ray on? Why hadn't he said _I love you_ once more, just in case something went wrong?

 

            It was strange saying that he got used to the new routine. It was mostly the same—breakfast in the morning with whoever happened to be awake at the time, some time in the lab, usually with Steve, sometimes with other Avengers, out to lunch with Steve and then some time out enjoying the day without anyone recognizing them, then back to the tower for dinner (or out with Steve, but they mostly had dinner with the team) and then typically either more lab time with Steve or hanging out with the team. It was rather easy to get used to—mornings or evenings in the lab were typically spent with Bruce, trying to figure out a way to reverse it, but Bruce was constantly worried that Tony might be affected by it again so he usually ended up kicking Tony out of his lab.

            All in all, it wasn't like much had changed. The team got used to it just as much as Tony was getting used to it.

            The best thing about having gotten used to it meant that he wasn't stressing about any of it, and because he wasn't stressing about it, he wasn't snapping at his team anymore. As the team relaxed, the teasing started up a little and Tony was able to joke around with his team. Steve also seemed more relaxed—the first time someone tried teasing Tony about the situation, he looked like he was going to murder them in their sleep, up until the point where Tony laughed and gave a smart reply back. He'd missed the lightheartedness of joking around with his teammates.

            "We're going to be out late again tonight," Tony said as he took his seat beside Steve, leaning against his husband as he sipped his coffee. "Just so you guys don't panic again. Wouldn't want to forget to text again."

            "Anything could've happened," Bucky pointed out. "We'd _just_ been battling villains that day—what if one of them had recognized you and kidnapped you?"

            " _That_ was your first thought?" Tony asked skeptically. "It wasn't 'oh, he's so old—what if he had a heart attack from walking through the park?' After all, not everyone's a super-soldier."

            Bucky snorted. "You may be old right now, but you're not out of shape, Tony. I actually _was_ worried about a villain, thank you, but now you're giving me more things to worry about. Great. Thank you for that."

            "They'll be fine," Clint said. When Tony stopped feeling uncomfortable about the whole situation, Clint seemed to stop feeling uncomfortable about it, too. "They're both too stubborn to let anything happen. Let them have some fun, Buck—Bruce is almost done with the cure, so this could be the last night they can go out together without anyone recognizing them."

            "Point taken," he agreed.

            "And maybe tomorrow night, or whenever Steve and I are back to normal, the team can go out to dinner as a group. If you guys go with us now then _everyone_ will know that happened," Tony said.

            "Whenever Bruce finds the cure—we're not going to rush him, especially since... if it goes wrong..." Steve said, glancing over at Tony just for a second. Neither of them had mentioned a thing about what Tony had explained, about how if Steve hadn't been there that Tony wouldn't even exist anymore. "I just want to make sure everything's perfect first."

            "I can second that," Natasha said, and Tony looked over at her. She was dragging an annoyed-looking Bruce into the room—chances were, he wanted to continue working on the cure. He had that same look that Tony knew he got when Steve dragged him out of the lab.

            "I'm not testing it on either of you until I'm sure it's not going to hurt you," Bruce assured them, though he still looked unhappy about being dragged away from his work. "Things aren't allowed to go wrong, that's why I locked you two out of my lab. I don't want anything to even _potentially_ happen."

            "And what about you?" Steve asked, frowning. "You're always around it—what if something happened to you while you were working on it?"

            "I'm pretty sure the Other Guy would make sure nothing bad happened," Bruce said with a shrug. “And I'm careful, so nothing's going to happen. You don't have to worry about me."

            "I have to worry about you not eating and not sleeping," Tony muttered, giving Bruce an exasperated look. "That's _my_ job, but I'm too damn tired all of the time to do that, and because you lock me 'nd Steve out of your lab, we can't bring you food and we can't yell at you to get some sleep. That's not really fair, Brucie-bear."

            "At least I don't make a habit of it," Bruce pointed out.

 

            "That might've been the last dinner that we'll ever have had where not a single person recognized us," Tony said as he and Steve walked down the street. There was a hint of sadness in his voice that made Steve frown.

            "Maybe we can go somewhere far away, just the two of us, and enjoy some more time where people won't recognize us right away," he suggested, not wanting to hear that sadness in his husband's voice. Tony was finally starting to be comfortable in the body that he was in, and he didn't want him to be _sad_ to lose part of his newfound happiness.

            "That might work," Tony mused, and once more there was a sparkle in his eyes that told Steve he could relax. It was nice, being able to go out somewhere with just the two of them. He did miss Team Dinner, and he knew that Tony did too. At dinner, they'd been talking about their team like they were their _kids_. It was strange. The team had always called them 'Mom and Dad' (though Steve was still unsure which one he was supposed to be) and now he was actually _feeling_ like a parent. When they got back from a battle and pretended like they weren't hurt, he and Tony scolded them like naughty children. And the team _listened_ to them when they did it!

            "I think we're all ready for a vacation," Tony said, yawning.

            He shuffled a little closer, and Steve wrapped an arm around his waist. Days ago, he wrapped an arm around Tony and glared at other people who tried flirting with him to make sure that everyone knew that Tony was _his_. Now when he did it, it was just because he loved Tony and just loved holding him. He'd always loved holding him, but it had taken until now for him to realize that he needed to back off a little.

            After all, he trusted his husband. It wasn't like Tony was ever going to cheat on him or anything, so he didn't have anything to worry about. The more relaxed and calm Tony was, the more Steve wanted to relax and just enjoy his time with his husband—especially now that he knew that he'd probably have a lot of time _without_ Tony, _without_ the team, _without_ anyone.

            He didn't like the thought of that.

            "It's such a beautiful night out," Tony said, stopping him in his tracks. He had this _look_ of his face, questioning and concerned. "And somehow you've only managed to frown the whole time we're walking home. Do your feet hurt? Want me to call a cab?"

            "No, I'm just..." Steve sighed. "I was thinking about the serum... If I didn't have it, I never would've met you, we never would've created the Avengers, my whole life would've been different. It probably would've been _very_ short. But now that I have the serum... I'm going to get a long and happy life with you and the team, and then... and then I'm still going to be here. I don't think I can do that alone, Tony, I..."

            The genius silenced him with a soft kiss and a gentle smile. "We've got a lifetime, Cap. You don't have to worry so much about that—enjoy the time we've got. Tomorrow could be our last day—every time we go into battle, we risk that. Any accident could change our futures together. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't love each other while we have each other. We'll figure it out— _together_ , Steve."

            It wasn't something he liked to think about—anyone dying in battle, really. But he thought about it a lot—constantly, every time he led the team into the fray. It _hurt_ , knowing that it could be the last time he ever spoke to them. But Tony was right—they had now.

            Gripping his husband's hands, he stole another quick kiss. "I love you, Tony. So much."

            "Nothing's going to change that," Tony replied, giving him the easiest and most genuine smile that Steve had seen since this whole debacle started. It made his heart swell, and he couldn't help but kiss his lover again, more passionate this time.

            It wasn't like they _hurried_ home. They just went as fast as they were comfortable with going—Steve didn't want to wear Tony out before they could even get back to the tower. He could see the desire in his husband's eyes, and he guessed that maybe Tony might be interested...

            He wasn't sure why Tony didn't want to be intimate. At least, at first. He'd suspected that maybe he was worried about getting aroused, seeing as Steve wasn't exactly a super-soldier anymore. And then he found out that Tony was ashamed of his _own_ body, and Steve wanted nothing more than to just drag him back to their room and show him that it didn't matter how Tony looked, that he'd always love him. His genius meant _everything_ to him.

            They barely even said hello to the team before they were off in their bedroom. Steve peppered soft kissed down Tony's neck and shoulders as they laid down onto the bed. Tony was fumbling with Steve's shirt, trying to get it over his head, but he didn't want to stop kissing his husband.

            "Babe," Tony complained, and Steve laughed, backing off enough to start stripping his clothes off. With careful hands he started undoing the buttons on Tony's shirt, stopping though when he noticed the uncertainty on his husband's face.

            "We don't have to do this if you're not comfortable, darling," he reminded his lover. Instead of replying, Tony leaned forward and captured his lips, pulling Steve down on top of him. Grinning, Steve deepened the kiss, melting against his husband. He could feel Tony's nimble fingers undoing his pants and pulling them off, and Steve backed off a little, lifting his lover before setting him down across the middle of the bed.

            "I'm not scared anymore," Tony said, throwing his shirt off into some corner. There was a confidence that had returned to his movements, a confidence that Steve had missed. He hated thinking that Tony would ever doubt the love that he had for him.

            "I love you." He didn't have to say it, Tony _knew_ that he cared, he was sure of it. But he _needed_ to say it, because it was the truth and Tony deserved to hear that truth every day of his life.

            "I love you too," Tony whispered, that gentle, loving look turning devious as he looked Steve up and down. "Well, are you comin' over here or what?"

            He didn’t need to be asked twice.

 

            "Tony! Steve!" Tony couldn't help the glare that settled on his face when Bruce ran, screaming, into the kitchen that morning. He'd had a late night—a _good_ night, but a late night—and he was tired and hadn't had enough coffee yet and was just ready to go back to bed. It was hard to relax and enjoy the morning when Bruce was _yelling_ —he wasn't _deaf_ , not in the slightest, so the shouting just ended up hurting his ears.

            Steve definitely flinched a little—super-soldier hearing, even _worse_ when it came to shouting, especially in their current conditions.

            "What?" Tony groaned, rubbing his forehead as he took another drink of coffee.

            Bruce's hair was a wild mess of tangles, and there were bags under his wide, bright eyes. If anyone tried describing 'mad scientist,' they'd be conjuring up an image of his teammate at the moment. Had he even _slept_ last night?

            "I've got it," Bruce gasped, grinning wider than Tony had seen before—definitely not helping with that whole 'mad scientist' look.

            "You've... got what?" Tony asked, though judging by the way that Steve's face light up, it was important. Damn, was he starting to forget things in his old age?

            "The _cure_." Bruce was practically vibrating with excitement as he grabbed both Steve and Tony's hands, trying to drag them over towards the lab.

            "Have you been drinking coffee?" Tony couldn't help but ask as the whole team followed after them. There was a mutual excitement coming from everyone, and Tony couldn't deny that he was ready to be young again. "Because you've never acted like this when drinking tea."

            "Just... a few cups," Bruce said dismissively. "That's not important—I've run the simulation _hundreds_ of times—Jarvis too! It's perfect, it's going to work, and you two will be back to normal before you know it."

            Steve gripped Tony's free hand and smiled at him. Tony _wanted_ to feel more excited, but he was still pretty tired and pretty sore, so it wasn't really translating well. He couldn't help how tired he was, and he couldn't help that being tired made him cranky. All he had to do was make sure that he didn't snap at anyone— _especially_ Bruce, because Bruce had just done such an incredible thing.

            "Okay, okay," Bruce said, gesturing around the lab, pointing at a couple of places that had been armed out on the ground. "Steve, you need to stand right there—feet on the marks, don't move from those places. Just stand... normally, don't turn around. Right there." Bruce then grabbed Tony's wrist, leading him over to the other places that were marked out on the ground. "Right here, Tony. Don't move from that spot. This shouldn't hurt, it shouldn't really feel like anything, so that shouldn't make you guys move, but... there will be a bright flash of light, so just... stay still."

            Tony grabbed Bruce's arm before he was able to walk away, and he quickly pulled his friend into a hug. "Thank you, Bruce."

            Bruce just grinned at him, still looking half-asleep and quite, well, _crazy_. "No problem—you guys know I'd do anything to help. But seriously—I need you to stay right there—those spots I marked out, don't move from them. At all. I, um, don't know what'll happen if you move. It probably won't be good, and I'm not sure how I'll fix it just yet, so... yeah. Stay still."

            He then gestured for the rest of the team to follow after him to this blocked off area where apparently (hopefully) they'd be safe from any effects of the ray.

            "I told you it wouldn't be long," Steve said, not moving from his spot. Tony watched him, a soft smile on his face. The way that Steve was positioned, based on the marks where Bruce made them stand, was just how he'd protected him—right between him and the ray gun.

            "Never should've doubted you," Tony agreed as Bruce shouted something about turning the machine on in _five, four, three, two..._

            The bright golden light that had caused all of the problems in the first place filled the room again, and for a second Tony wanted to run into Steve's arms, to hold his husband tight just in case this was the last time that he'd get a chance to touch him, to hold him. Why hadn't he kissed him before Bruce turned the ray on? Why hadn't he said _I love you_ once more, just in case something went wrong?

            Just right as Tony was having second thoughts and too many regrets—he should've told the whole _team_ how much they meant to him first!—it was all suddenly over. A flash, just as it had been last time. He was still standing, dazed, blinking rapidly to try and clear his eyesight as the bright light was suddenly gone.

            It was so _silent_ in the room, and for a second Tony was worried that something had gone horribly wrong. Why hadn't the team come running in? Did something happen to Steve? Did anything happen in _general?_

            Before he was able to tell Steve not to turn around, his super-soldier was hugging him tightly and pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

            "I knew it would work," Steve whispered as all of their teammates came running over, shouting their names and hugging them tightly.

            "What happened?" was all that he was able to ask as he was surrounded, though it only took a few seconds to him to have space again as Bruce shooed everyone away, saying something about needing to check on him and Steve to make sure that everything's fine.

            "Back up," Bruce repeated, and Tony just smirked as his fellow scientist gently cupped his hands around Tony's face and leaned in, studying him like an experiment.

            "How do I look, doc?" Tony asked, though he really didn't need to. His team had all had positive reactions, so he guessed that he looked just as he used to.

            "I just needed to make sure that I didn't accidentally make you _too_ young—it's a delicate process, but you didn't move at all, so... everything looks like it worked out," Bruce mused before turning his high-energy, caffeinated self onto Steve, narrowing his eyes as he observed the super-soldier. "Now you, Steve, are a lot harder to figure out, because everything _looks_ like it went correctly, and the simulations _say_ that it should go correctly..."

            "I'm sure it went fine," Steve said calmly, looking like he was trying his hardest to hide his amusement at Bruce's antics. "Thanks, Bruce."

            "You _look_ like yourselves again," Clint commented, patting Tony's shoulder. "That's something, at least. Welcome back to the real world."

            "How do you feel?" Natasha asked, and while chances are they were saying it to both of them, she was staring directly at Tony.

            "I'm not old anymore—it's great," Tony said, grinning. "No more chest pain, no more aching joints. I'm good."

            "Perfect," Bruce said, and for once he actually looked very proud of what he'd created. Normally when Tony tried to get him to be proud of his creations, he was always a bit hesitant. But right now, with the amount of coffee and the lack of sleep, he actually looked proud that he'd figured it out. Tony knew he could do it.

            "Not that I don't appreciate this, because I do, more than you'd believe, but I really do think it's time for you to get some sleep, Bruce," Tony said calmly, trying to lead out of the lab and over towards his bedroom.

            "But... but I did good," Bruce said, and Tony couldn't help but hug his friend as he continued dragging him out of the room.

            "I know you did—you did an _amazing_ job, but you're falling asleep on your feet, Bruce," Tony said. "I don't even know how you're still awake right now."

            "Based on the number of coffees I've had throughout the night, statistically speaking, there's no way that I'm actually going to be able to fall asleep if you send me to bed now," Bruce pointed out. "So there's really no point."

            "What if I was the one who took you off to bed?" Natasha asked, somehow managing to sneak up behind them and slide in between Tony and Bruce.

            "That's a variable that I hadn't considered," Bruce, looking completely confused in his sleep-deprived state, chose to let Natasha keep taking him over to his bedroom. Natasha turned around just long enough to wink at Tony.

            "I'm going to have to thank him more once he's actually awake," Steve said. He was grinning, and when Tony's eyes met his, he seemed to understand what the genius was thinking. But they couldn't ditch their friends, not right away.

            "He's so adorable when he's gone all "mad scientist" on us," Tony chuckled as he wandered back over and took ahold of his husband's hand. It wasn't as soft as it had been for the past several days, but it was still _Steve_. Soft hands, strong hands, didn't matter.

            Tony was a little surprised when Bucky put a hand on his shoulder. He had such a regretful look on his face. "I know I already apologized for the way I acted earlier," Bucky said sincerely, "but I really am sorry. I wasn't trying to make you feel like you weren't capable anymore, I just... I wanted to look out for you two—it wasn't going to be easy for either of you, and if I could make things a little easier... I'm sorry."

            Tony just rolled his eyes and hugged his friend. "I know, and I understand."

            They still felt like his children. It was strange.

            "Just don't do it again, jerk," Steve said, punching Bucky's shoulder. Tony cast a slight glare at his husband—they were having a moment, thank you!

            Clint just laughed at that, though, instead of coming to Bucky's aid.

            "You looked like you were ready to maul Bucky over that," he snorted. "I learned from his mistakes. Never mess with an old, cranky super-soldier."

            "Good—because I'm still _ninety-seven_ , and I think that's old enough to be considered old," Steve said, crossing his arms with a slight smirk. "Glad to know my team knows not to mess with me."

            "You're not _that_ old—wait until you've at _least_ hit the triple digits," Clint said, grabbing Bucky's arm before he started to pull the other super-soldier away. "So hey, glad you two are young again, but we've, uh, got something to do, um, _elsewhere_."

            The way that Clint winked at him told Tony that he'd seen the look that he had shared with his husband, and he was just trying to give the two of them some space. Clint was _totally_ getting new trick arrows—whatever crazy ideas he could come up with—for that.

            Turning his attention back to his husband, Tony placed both hands on Steve's shoulders before he leaned up, stealing a long, passionate kiss from his lover.

            "Well, this changes how we're going to spend the day," Steve mused, lifting Tony up so that he could set him onto the workbench not that far away. Tony grinned, pulling his super-soldier back in for another kiss.

            "You're right," he said between kisses. "No more Mom and Dad dinners—we're taking the kids out tonight, too."

            Steve laughed. "It's been too long since we've had Team Dinner at a restaurant. That sounds like a good plan."

            The super-soldier rested his forehead against his lover's. Tony couldn't help but get lost in those eyes of his.

            "I'm glad that happened," Tony said before he could stop himself. Sometimes he really hated admitting things, and he had to admit that he was wrong, thinking that Steve wouldn't love him with age. "I mean, I'm glad my hair's not white anymore, and I'm glad I can be Iron Man again, but... I'm glad that happened."

            "Me too," Steve agreed. "I thought you knew by now that you shouldn't be doubting my love for you."

            "Hey, I was shocked at the fact that I was suddenly _ancient_ , you can't really blame me for freaking out," Tony said, wrapping his arms around his husband. He loved just _holding_ Steve, like nothing else mattered and they were the only two people in the world. "Now, Clint dragged Bucky out of here for a very specific reason. Jarvis, lock the lab down! We need some privacy here." As Jarvis started shutting down the lab and blacking out the windows, Tony pulled away from Steve long enough to add, "And make a note, J—Mommy and Daddy are taking the kids out to dinner tonight, can't forget about that!"

            Steve laughed as he stripped his clothes off, giving Tony a kiss that promised that he would forget about those dinner plans in just a little bit. It was a good thing that Jarvis would remind them, wouldn't want to disappoint the kids.


End file.
